June 25, 2006 (Montreal, Quebec) – In the fourth and final stage of the Coupe de La Paix, Anne Samplionus (Biovail) showed her know how to win her first race. Benjamin Martel (Sleeman Clear Energie) won the men’s race.

The women had to climb a long, steep hill 21 times. With 12 laps completed, Merrill Collins (La Bicicletta) – the leader in overall points – staged an attack, never suspecting for a moment that Samplonius would foil her plans. They broke away and worked together. Emilie Roy (Québec Cycle Centrifuge), winner of Saturday’s Stage 3, tore off after them five laps later. Roy managed to reduce the gap without ever catching up with the two leaders. Samplonius, Collins and Roy crossed the finish line in that order.

In overall points, Collins took first place (570 points) while Gina Grain (Colavita/Cooking Light), who finished fourth today, earned enough points to finish second overall with 540 points, a mere 10 points ahead of Samplonius. Roy was more than satisfied with her fourth place overall finish (450 points), pointing to the “big names on the podium.”

In the men’s race, with only six of 33 laps completed, Sean Finning (southaustralia.com-AIS), forged ahead alone. Twelve laps went by until he was caught by Alexandre Nadeau and Benjamen Martel, both of Sleeman Clear Énergie.

Dominique Rollin (V.C. Roubaix), in the leader’s yellow jersey, was always near the front watching Australian Wes Sulzberger, with whom he was tied for overall points. Rollin was determined to finish ahead of Sulzberger but the peloton became strung out and was caught by the breakaway group with four laps to go to the finish.

Martel had his first taste of victory at the Coupe de la Paix, Finning pulled off a second place finish, ahead of Nadeau, who took third spot. Most of the suspense focused on the final group sprint where the champion of the Coupe de la Paix series would be decided. The Australians played their cards well in the sprint and Sulzberger came in ahead of Rollin, depriving him of his first place overall. The final standings saw Sulzberger with 610 points, Rollin with 600, and Finning at 565.

For many athletes, the Coupe de la Paix was an excellent preparation for Canada’s road race championships in Quebec City from June 29 to July 2. The Coupe de la Paix was well appreciated by all participants, many of whom plan to return next year.

Rollin, who rides for V.C. Roubaix, a team from France, will participate at this Tuesday’s Mardis Cyclistes de Lachine, an event not to be missed.

Women

1. Anne Samplonius (Can) Biovail 1:12:11
2. Merrill Collins (Can) La Bicicletta 0:02
3. Émilie Roy (Can) Indépendante 0:34
4. Gina Grain (Can) Colavita/Cooking Light
5. Jennifer Stephenson (Can) Biovail
6. Lisa Sweeney (Can) CTP-Colnago
7. Jeneviève Gauthier (Can) Le Yeti
8. Veronique Labonté (Can) Cascades 4:35
9. Raphaële Lemieux (Can) Indépendante 6:32
DNF Vanessa Goodbehere (Can) Cascades
DNF Suzie Belanger (Can) Cascades
DNF Marie-Michele Richard (Can) Cascades
DNF Leah Wilson (Can) Cascades
DNF Jessica Burns (Can) Cascades

Men

1. Benjamin Martel (Can) Sleeman Clear Énergie 1:35:22
2. Sean Finning (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS
3. Alexandre Nadeau (Can) Sleeman Clear Énergie 0:25
4 Michael Ford (Aus) Australia 1:26
5. Phil Cortes (Can) Garneau Optik 1:26
6. Zach Garland (Can) Espoirs Laval 2:05
7. Derek Mcmaster (Can) Ital Pasta/Trans.Belm 2:09
8. Eric Lyman (Can) Calyon-Litespeed 2:33
9. Czeslaw Lukaszewicz (Can) Sleeman Clear Energie 2:33
10. David Veilleux (Can) Garneau Optik 2:46
11. Charly Vives (Can) Calyon-Litespeed 2:46
12. Cameron Hughes (Can) Ital Pasta/Trans.Belm 2:46
13. Ryan Belliveau (Can) Espoirs Laval 2:51
14 Wes Sulzberger (Aus) Australia 2:53
15. Dominique Rollin (Can) V.C. Roubaix 2:53
16. Mark Pozniak (Can) J.V.R. de Betauwers 2:53
17. David Richter (USA) Ital Pasta/Trans.Belm 2:53
18. Pierre-Olivier Boily (Can) Sleeman Clear Energie 2:53
19. Michel Détry (Can) Cycle Performance 2:53
20. Martin St-Laurent (Can) Volkswagen-Trek 2:53
21. Aaron Fillion (Can) Ottawa B.C. 2:53
22. Jeffrey Dirksen (Ned) J.V.R. de Betauwer 2:53
23. Mathieu Roy (Can) Garneau Optik 2:53
24 Philippe Abbott (Can) Ital Pasta/Trans.Belm 2:53
25. Peter Dawson (Aus) Australia 2:58
26. Alexandre Lavallée (Can) Garneau Optik 3:05
27. Jamie Lamb (Can) Garneau Optik 3:05
28. Dave Vukets (Can) Team R.A.C.E. 4:08
29. Darko Ficko (Can) La Bicicletta 4:08
DNF Hughes Lapointe (Can) Espoirs Laval
DNF Alistair Howard (Can) Espoirs Laval
DNF Nicholas Rowe (Can) Espoirs Laval
DNF Robin Bolduc (Can) Vélo Sommet
DNF Miles Olman (Aus) Australia
DNF Ashley Hutchinson (Aus) Australia
DNF Stephen Wooldridge (Aus) Australia
DNF Yves Lefebvre (Can) CIBC Wood Gundy
DNF Matt Guse (Can) Team R.A.C.E.
DNF Jeff Schiller (Can) Team R.A.C.E
DNF Jean-Michel Lachance (Can) Garneau Optik
DNF Peter Sanowar (Can) Ital Pasta/Trans.Belm
DNF François Brunel (Can) Sleeman Clear Energie
DNF Ryan Mackenzie (Can) Volkswagen-Trek
DNF Rob Van Bekkum (Ned) J.V.R. de Betauwers
DNF Isaac Smith (Ned) J.V.R. de Betauwers
DNF Alex De Korten (Ned) J.V.R. de Betauwers
DNF Chris Saunders (Can) J.V.R. de Betauwers
DNF Jean-Francois Gagné (Can) Rack Ultra
DNF Martin Rooseboom (Can) Cycles Patrick
DNF Jean René Bélanger (Can) Volkswagen-Trek
DNF Steffan Elzinga (Can) f.c. Barcelona Cycling Team
DNF Jean-Sébastien Perron (Can) Calyon-Litespeed
DNF Carl Desroches (Can) Calyon-Litespeed
DNF Brooke Boocock (Can) Calyon-Litespeed
DNF Joel Dion-Poitras (Can) Calyon-Litespeed
DNF Martin Picared (Can) Espoirs Laval

Final Overall

Women

1. Merrill Collins (Can) La Bicicletta 570
2. Gina Grain (Can) Colavita/Cooking Light 540
3. Anne Samplonius (Can) Biovail 530
4. Émilie Roy (Can) Indépendante 450
5. Lisa Sweeney (Can) CTP-Colnago 420
6. Jennifer Stephenson (Can) Biovail 280
7. Veronique Labonté (Can) Cascades 215
8. Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) D’amos 210
9. Suzie Belanger (Can) Cascades 190
10. Marie-Pier Bédard (Can) Espoirs Laval 190
11. Laura Yoisten (Can) Victory Brewing 170
12. Raphaële Lemieux (Can) Indépendante 170
13. Julie Marceau (Can) Marinoni 140
14. Jeneviève Gauthier (Can) Le Yeti 100
15. Annie Gervais (Can) Martin Swiss 60
16. Jessica Burns (Can) Cascades 55
17. Leah Wilson (Can) Cascades 50
18. Joëlle Numainville (Can) Biovail 50
19. Lilia Fraser (Can) Martin Swiss 40
20. Vanessa Goodbehere (Can) Cascades 35
21. Katy St-Laurent (Can) Sleeman Clear Energie 20
22. Catherine Marchand (Can) Sleeman Clear Energie 20
Marie-Michele Richard (Can) Cascades 5

Men

1. SULZBERGER,Wes (Aus) Australie 610
2. ROLLIN,Dominique (Can) V.C. Roubaix 600
3. FINNING,Sean (Aus) Australie 565
4. MARTEL,Benjamen (Can) Sleeman 545
5. RICHTER,David (USA) Ital Pasta/Trans.Belm 420
6. POZNIAK,Mark (Can) J.V.R. de Betauwers 4. 00
7. HUTCHISON,Ashley (Aus) Australie 350
8. LAVALLÉE,Alexandre (Can) Garneau Optik 345
9. LYMAN,Eric (Can) Calyon 335
10. VEILLEUX,David (Can) Garneau Optik 310
11. MACKENZIE,Ryan (Can) Volkswagen Trek 285
12. BOILY,Pierre-Olivier (Can) Sleeman 260
13. DIRKSEN,Jeffrey (Ned) J.V.R. de Betauwers 260
14. DAWSON,Peter (Aus) Australie 250
15. ROOSEBOOM,Martin (Can) Cycles Patrick 225
16. VIVES,Charly (Can) Calyon 200
17. BRUNEL,François (Can) Sleeman 200
18. NADEAU,Alexandre (Can) Sleeman 195
19. CORTES,Phil (Can) Garneau Optik 190
20. FORD,Michael (Aus) Australie 185
21. ROWE,Nicholas (Can) Espoirs Laval 165
22.PERRON,Jean-Sébastien (Can) Calyon 165
23. MCMASTER,Derek (Can) Ital Pasta/Trans.Belm 155
24. GARLAND, Zach (Can) Espoirs Laval 155
25. DÉTRY,Michel (Can) Cycle Performance 145
26. LUKASZEWICZ,Czeslaw (Can) Sleeman 125
27. FILLION,Aaron (Can) Ottawa B.C. 120
28. SCHILLER,Jeff (Can) Team R.A.C.E. 110
29. HUGHES,Cameron (Aus) Ital Pasta/Trans.Belm 105
30. MOQUIN,Sebastien (Can) Sleeman 100
31. ROY,Mathieu (Can) Garneau Optik 90
32.BELLIVEAU,Ryan (Can) Espoirs Laval 85
33. FORTIN,Jean-François (Can) Cinelume-Cycles Performance80
34. LACHANCE ,Jean-Michel (Can) Garneau Optik 70
35. ST-LAURENT,Martin (Can) Volkswagen Trek 65
36. SANOWAR,Peter (Can) Ital Pasta/Trans.Belm 65
37. MAHEU, Jean-Sébastien (Can) Sleeman 50
38. LAMB ,Jamie (Can) Garneau Optik 45
39. LAPOINTE,Hughes (Can) Espoirs Laval 35
VUKETS,Dave (Can) Team R.A.C.E. 20
FICKO,Darko (Can) La Bicicletta 20
ABBOTT, Philippe (Can) Ital Pasta/Trans.Belm 20
VAN BEKKUM,Rob (Ned) J.V.R. de Betauwers 20
SMITH,Isaac (Can) J.V.R. de Betauwers 20
BOLDUC,Robin (Can) Vélo Sommet 20
GUSE,Matt (Can) Team R.A.C.E. 20
WOOLDRIDGE,Stephen (Aus) Australie 20
DE KORTEN, Alex (Can) J.V.R. de Betauwers 20
SAUNDERS, Chris (Can) J.V.R. de Betauwers 20
GAGNÉ, Jean-Francois (Can) Rack Ultra 20
BÉLANGER, Jean René (Can) Volkswagen Trek 20
PILOTTE,Sébastien (Can) Sleeman 15
SMIBERT,Devon (Can) Synergie 15
AUGER,Clovis (Can) Volkswagen Trek 15
LEFEBVRE,Yves (Can) CIBC Wood Gundy 15
BRISSON, Robert (Can) Sud-Ouest 15
TREMBLAY,Raphael (Can) Volkswagen Trek 15
KEEPING,Stephen (Can) Ottawa B.C. 10
MANNING,Ian (Can) Jet Fuel Coffee 10
MOORE,Keith (Can) Jet Fuel Coffee 10
SANT,Brandon (Can) V-Com 10
BAKKER, Osmond (Can) Independant 10
ELZINGA,Steffan (Can) f.c. Barcelona Cycling Team 10
HOWARD,Alistair (Can) Espoirs Laval 10
DESROCHES,Carl (Can) Calyon 10
BOOCOCK,Brooke (Can) Calyon 10
VIVES,Maxime (Can) Calyon 10
CHAREST, Alexandre (Can) CIBC Wood Gundy 10
BOILY, Eric (Can) Volkswagen Trek 10
OLMAN, Miles (Aus) Australie 10
DION-POITRAS,Joel (Can) Calyon 10
CARON,Vincent (Can) Ski Vélo Vincent Renaud5
RACINE,Jean-François (Can) Espoirs Laval 5
CHARBONNEAU,Maxime (Can) 5
COURSY,Vincent (Can) Cycle Régis 5
MIGNER,Paul (Can) CIBC Woud gundy 5
CLOUTIER,Alex (Can) Volkswagen Trek 5
STUDNER, Antoine (Can) Espoirs Laval 5
MARTIN,Francis (Can) Premier teck 5
PARISIEN,Fançois (Can) TIAA 5
PICARD,Martin (Can) Espoirs Laval5